


Friends that don't

by AuthorReinvented



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Casual, Fanfiction, Fluff, Friendship, Hetalia, Slice of Life, Sweet, calm, friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24286642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorReinvented/pseuds/AuthorReinvented
Summary: No one understands how America, the loudest and most energetic country, is such close friends with Japan, one of the quietest and meek countries.When England asks what they do together, America only tells him that they "Do nothing."Because some kinds of friends are "Friends that don't" instead of "Friends that do".
Relationships: America/Japan (Hetalia)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 52





	1. Friends that don't do anything

"Yo, Japan!" America called out, waving energetically. "Are we still on to hang this weekend?" Japan responded by a gentle dip of his head. England blinked at the pair across the room as a sudden thought occurred to him. "I wonder how those two are friends."

"What do you mean?" China, who had been talking to him, asked. "It's obviously because America is infatuated with Japan's culture and manga and anime and other things. Of course Japan would be flattered by that." China said as though it should be obvious. "I know that!" England snapped back. "It's just Japan is so quiet and retrained and America is-" He gestured to America who had thrown himself seating backwards on a chair, slurping a large coke, "America." He finished exasperatedly. "Hmm. Maybe it's because they're so young?" China offered, forgetting the fact that Japan was much older than America. "Maybe." England responded unconvinced.

Later, he found the chance to talk to America about it. "So America, I've been wondering, what do you and Japan even do when you hang out?" "Huh?" America mulched on his burger and cast England a confused look. "It's just, I figure you don't have much in common by ways of hobbies." England quickly explained. "That's not true!" America argued. "We both like games, and manga and robots and stuff!" He listed. "Then you just spend the whole time together playing games?" England pressed. "Sometimes." America gave. "Most times we just do nothing." he added casually. "Nothing?" How could you do _nothing_ with a friend?

America had gotten distracted by Russia across the room and was already gone, leaving England alone to ponder the answer. And ponder he did. He was pondering so hard that he forgot to ask France what he was doing in his living room, on his sofa, reading a book. France, more sensitive than he let on, only teased England a little before letting England ponder quietly without distraction as he did his needle work. 

Finally England gave up with a sigh. How anyone do "nothing" together was a mystery to him. He got up to make France and him a cup of tea.


	2. Friends that don't need formalities

Japan was startled back to the present by a knocking sound at the door, then relaxed as he heard the key in the lock. Only one person had the spare key to his flat, the only person he knew who considered knocking before letting himself in to be polite enough, who didn't feel the need to wait for Japan to call out "Come in."Although it was frustrating about him sometimes, it was also something Japan appreciated.

"Yo, Japan!" America greeted, letting himself into Japan's room and stepping over the mounds of books Japan had piled on the floor. "America." Japan greeted without the honorifics. For America, it didn't mean anything. For Japan, it meant they were close friends. Japan didn't drop the honorifics for anyone he wasn't close with, and even with America, only when it was just them. "Do you have anymore like that series I read last time?" America asked, flinging himself down on Japan's bed. Japan had been expecting this and pointed to a pile of books to America's left. "Sweet!" America crowed, grabbing the first book, immediately flipping to the first page and started reading without so much as a "thank you."

Japan didn't didn't really mind that though, if he was being honest. America's disregard for manners was a nice escape for the constraining way Japan usually had to act in front of other nations. Usually Japan would have cleaned all morning to prepare for a visit, dressed up nicely, met the guest at the door and shown him in, offered him tea and a snack, and then engaged in polite small talk.

With America, Japan didn't have to worry about those sorts of things. Sure, he had done a quick clean of his home, but not much of one. He hadn't changed out of his jersey and sweats or gotten up to greet America at the door. And America hadn't expected him to. Unlike other countries, America didn't take this kind of treatment like an insult, rather he encouraged it. America had been the one who first insisted Japan didn't have to let him in, the only person to see Japan in his home clothes, and America hadn't blinked twice at the sight.

Eventually, America would get hungry, and either raid Japan's cupboards for some snacks that Japan stored on a shelf just for when America visited, labeled with America's name, or America would retrieve a bag of snacks he had brought himself and distribute them to himself and Japan. Sometime after that Japan would make himself and America a coffee, no need to ask what America took in it because Japan knew from experience, and both would return to their books in silence, save for the occasional crunch of pretzal sticks or chips.

There there no need for traditional hospitality between close friends.


	3. Friends that don't need to talk

America looked forward to his bi-weekly hangouts with Japan. True Japan was quiet and older and preferred to do old-people things like stay inside and play go or shogi, but America appreciated that about him. Sometimes America, the hero, didn't want to do energy-draining things like go out to the mall or to chat excitedly with others, and at times like this he was grateful for Japan's quiet nature.

Japan seemed to understand that America sometimes didn't want to say anything, and when America went quiet Japan didn't act concerned or fuss like England, he didn't try to prod America into bouncing to his feet energetically like Russia, or try to find out what's wrong like Canada and France. Japan just sat silently down beside him and continued reading through his documents or working on his manuscript. There was something understanding about Japan's reaction that matched him so perfectly, and America was grateful for it.

When America went to Japan's house they rarely spoke, and when they did it was for only a short period. "Hey, Japan," America would call down, fingers freezing on the page he was about to flip, and Japan would finish his page before titling his head up to look at America from his seat on the floor. "You know the other day, Iggy asked me what he did together." Japan tilted his head. "What did you say?" A silent prodding, not worried about America letting slip a secret, nor a real drive of curiosity, only a push for America to finish his story quickly so Japan could finish reading. "The truth." America said simply. "I told him we don't do anything." He flipped his page as though to continue reading, but Japan waited patiently for the last comment he knew was coming.

"Poor England." America noted off handedly, not really sounding as pitying as his words suggested. "He has no friends so he doesn't understand." and that was all. There was no need for Japan to offer words of comfort or advice, and Japan didn't try to. He knew America hadn't been asking. He simply had a thought and wanted to say it, so he did. Then Japan and America would return to their pastime and the quiet would return. Neither America nor Japan found it unpleasant. 

Good friends don't always need to talk to understand.


	4. Friends that don't do the same things

If anyone were watching it would have seemed like America and Japan were very out of sync. Japan was playing a video game, eyes narrowed as he focussed on defeating the monsters. America was dancing to some music from his phone. The happily jaunty tune America was dancing to clashed greatly with the fast paced epic music of the boss fight on Japan's game. Neither country noticed. When America got bored of dancing, he decided to try his hand at drawing, using the gaming Japan as his muse. Japan was aware that America was drawing him, and while he knew that America's style of drawing leaned more towards comical than cute, he was still kind of flattered.

Finally America put down the crayon he'd been using (Japan didn't even know where he found that, Japan didn't _own_ crayons), and held up his picture with a satisfied air. "Dude I am so awesome!" He proudly displayed the caticature of Japan, head ridiculousy big for the tiny hunched over body, eyes trained seriously on the hastily scetched screen. It wasnt like anything Japan would draw, and wasn't very flattering either. "Dude! For you!" America shoved his drawing into Japan's hands and dove for the abandoned remote. "My turn!" Japan set off to find a picture frame for the hastily drawn portrait. 

By the time the picture was safely secured in a frame on his wall, America had abandoned the game for an anime about heros. Having already seen that, Japan decided to go through his documents instead. To the outside eye, the two could barely be described as "hanging out", not talking to each other or interacting with each other. To America and Japan, it was perfect.

America felt comfort from Japan's quiet presence in the room, a blanket of familiarity. Japan felt relaxed America's presence, despite the ocassional jumps or cheers during as he watched the show. Neither would have perfered to be alone, or thought they'd enjoy themselves more somewhere else.

Friends don't always need to do the same things.


	5. Friends that don't go out

Japan didn't like going out. It made him feel old and uncomfortable. There where a lot of new things he didn't understand or truefully, care about. He always felt like he was being judged by strangers on the street. And while Japan loved to go to theme parks and enjoy things like that with a few close friends, he honestly found it just as draining as if he had done a day's worth of manual labour with no breaks. At the end of the day, Japan simply perfered to stay home. 

America was the opposite. He liked to be out, and see new things, to try new things, meet new people. His energy seemed to grow according to the amount of people surrounding him, and he seemed to be constantly wired on caffeine, bouncing on his toes. It was a mystery to the other nations how America could couldn't stay still, and Japan who barely moved if he could help it, were friends. They assumed that America pulled Japan into his schemes against Japan's will, dragging him around all day to do various things and then abandoning and exhausted Japan to his bed at the end of the day.

It was true, sometimes America did, forcing Japan out onto the street to try something America found to ve new and exciting, and while Japan coundnt deny it left him exhausted, Japan also had fun. Most of the time though, America didn't drag Japan out of his house, instead seeming to adopt a more passive attitude in Japan's house. He still read books with a passion and the occasional cry of "Wow!" or "OMG, Japan _look_!" And played video games with intense vigor, but he seemed to tone it down, his voice not _as_ loud as usual, his movements less rushed, his exclamations more short and to the point instead of the babbling he did at meetings.

Japan had learned that America felt at ease around him, and that America's choice to stay in and play wasn't just to cater to Japan's preferences, but because he honestly enjoyed it. America, the loudest and most outgoing of the countries, (except maybe Denmark) seemed to understand just as well as Japan that friends don't need to go out to have fun.

Japan appreciated this.


End file.
